And now, I’ll pass the microphone over to Lisa, who has asked her characters to explain exactly what it takes to be a Super Spy.

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Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’m Lisa Orchard and I’m a guest here at Ella’s today. I’m the Middle Grade/Young Adult Author of the Super Spies series and I’ve got my main character Sarah and her sidekick Jackie here to explain the ten things you need to know in order to be a Super Spy. Take it away Sarah and Jackie!

“Hello! My name is Sarah Cole. My BFF Jackie and I have written down the ten things you need in order to be a Super Spy. Let me know if you agree, I’d love to hear from you.”

Number One:

Sarah: “The first thing you need to know is; Super Spies need to keep a low profile. They must blend in…they can’t stand out or draw attention to themselves. That means we don’t wear flashy clothes or gaudy jewelry.”

Jackie: “I totally disagree with this, Sarah. I am a strong believer that being stylish is an asset for everyone, including Super Spies. In fact, I do believe that it was my fashion sense that has saved us on a number of occasions.”

Sarah: Rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

Number Two:

Sarah: “The next skill you need is strong powers of deduction. A Super Spy must be able to look at clues and draw conclusions from them. This is important because the answer to the identity of your villain is in the clues he leaves behind.”

Sarah: “The third item on our list is that a Super Spy must possess the desire to get justice at all costs. Most of the time the victim’s in a situation where she can’t fight for herself so we must take up the battle for her. The whole Super Spies gang feels this way…”

Jackie: “I totally agree with Sarah on this one. We fight for victims who can’t fight for themselves.”

Number Four:

Sarah: “Another trait a Spy must have is bravery. We have to put ourselves in dangerous situations in order to find the truth. We feel fear, but our sense of justice prevails and we do what we need to do in spite of it. Lacey, my sister usually has to be convinced…she’s kind of a wimp!”

Jackie: “I’m going to have to agree with Sarah on this one too. Although, I must say, that Sarah can be kind of impulsive and doesn’t always look at the consequences of her actions.”

Sarah: “What?” (She looks at Jackie with a puzzled look and shakes her head in disbelief.)

Number Five:

Sarah: “A Super Spy must also have an inquisitive nature. They must want to know why something happened. This is important because a spy needs to understand the motives of the villain in order to catch him. I have the most inquisitive nature…it drives Jackie and my sister crazy sometimes but hey what can I say? It’s just the way I am!”

Sarah: “A Super Spy must also be resourceful. For example, when we were going after the Cat Lady Killer we had to use Jackie’s perfume as a weapon in order to get away. Of course, she never lets me hear the end of it! How her fashion sense saved us. J This is the reason she’s convinced detectives can be fashionable.”

Jackie: (With a confident nod of her head.) “Yes, I rest my case. Being fashionable is an asset.”

Sarah: (Shakes her head and rolls her eyes.) “See what I mean?”

Number Seven:

Sarah: “The next item on the list is sneakiness. That’s right; a Super Spy needs to be sneaky in order to spy without getting caught. This is very important, otherwise how would a sleuth be able to overhear private conversations? Sneakiness is one of the most important traits of a spy. And I must confess I’m pretty sneaky…Jackie and Lacey are learning.”

Jackie: “I’ll have to agree with Sarah on this one too. Although, I have a suspicion that Sarah’s sneakiness gets us into more trouble than it gets us out of trouble.”

Number Eight:

Sarah: “A Super Spy must also be able to think on her feet. For example, when we were almost caught by the bombers in “The Super Spies and the High School Bomber” Jackie and I were able to think quickly and find a hiding place. We remained undetected and were able to escape.”

Jackie: (Laughs wryly) “Yeah, I’ll agree with Sarah on this one. Though, I feel that some of the sticky situations we’ve gotten into could have been avoided.”

Number Nine:

Sarah: “Super Spies must also be able to work as a team. When we had to set a trap for the Cat Lady Killer, it took all of us working together to set it. Unfortunately, it backfired. That’s where being able to think on my feet came in handy.”

Jackie: “This is so true. You have to work together to solve the crime. Otherwise, the bad guys win.”

Number Ten:

Sarah: “The last and most important trait a Super Spy must possess is empathy for the victim. If we can’t empathize with our victims we wouldn’t have the motivation to solve the crime. Luckily, all of the Super Spies have this trait.”

Jackie: “I totally agree with Sarah on this one. Empathizing with the victim is totally cool beans!”

Sarah: (Deep sigh with an eye roll) “Oh, Jackie. You need to step out of the nineties.”

Jackie: “No way. I like the phrase and I’m sticking with it!”

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So there you have it, the top ten traits all Super Spies must possess in order to catch the criminals. How do you think I did? What traits do you think spies should have? Let me know your thoughts! I’d love to hear from you!

And check out my books! It’s a great series for your tween/teen!

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Well, I certainly learned things I didn’t know before! I’ll be ready, if ever the opportunity arises for me to become a Super Spy.

Make sure to tune in next week, when you’ll be able to learn more about Lisa Orchard’s writing process and get closer to her. Hmm, I wonder if she’ll spill some of the secrets of her third Super Spies book…

And if you’d like to get in touch before then, this is where you can find her:

10 Replies to “Spotlight on Lisa Orchard – Part III”

I love teen relationships when well-portrayed. I would say I also love teen speak, but I’ve been forbidden to use any teen vocabulary by my daughters. They cringe every time they spot a LOL on my Facebook timeline. Don’t know why. 🙂

Great post, Lisa!
My daughter absolutely loved the first book and is currently reading the second one with just as much enthusiasm. She’ll be more than happy to hear that there’s a third one “out soon” 😉
Even her teacher was impressed by the story when he listened during quiet teacher/student reading.